Posts Tagged ‘sacrifice’

[On Memorial Day] we may ask our children to remember those who gave the utmost level of devotion to secure our freedoms. But we mostly don’t talk among ourselves about the fact that names are still being added to the list of the lost, names that until recently belonged to people, but now belong to memory, belong to the ages. Names that once brought smiles to parents’ faces and light to a lover’s eyes but now bring only a whistling blow to the pit of the stomach for those who loved them. Names that now signify a vast, empty, mournful space that actual people used to fill.

Even casual readers will know that a hallmark of Flyover Country is our unashamed and open support for the military and their families. I’ve stepped in and quietly picked up the check at a restaurant for someone in uniform. I make it a point to stop and say “thank you” instead of walking past the stranger with the “101st Airborne” hat on.

A few months ago, a highly educated elitist professor emailed his university colleagues calling it “shameful” to send care packages to military serving overseas. He wrote in part “sympathy for American troops in harm’s way is ‘not particularly rational in today’s world.'” No, the shame lies entirely on this leftist constitutional law professor, who despite his position and title cannot fathom the simple fact that his right to free speech is protected by the very Americans he denigrates.

Today, two stories caught my attention. Jaci Greggs, wife of an active duty solider, wrote of a talent agency targeting and cold calling military wives and widows, on behalf of CBS, about a reality dating show.

Turns out, not everyone they’ve contacted is a widow. And several of the widows are in relationships, or not seeking one–all facts clearly and openly stated on their blogs. In fact, the person who received that specific email does not run either of the blogs mentioned, and is not a widow. One widow posted in a forum that she replied that she wasn’t interested and asked not to be contacted again. She was then badgered with two subsequent emails. Reports are that neither of these situations is unique.

The overwhelming response from the milspouse blogging community has not been favorable, to put it mildly. We’re at once a diverse group and a uniform one, a worldwide community made up of less than 1% of the American population. And fiercely protective of our own. And when one of our spouses becomes a Gold Star spouse, we all hurt.

So CBS has a talent agency trolling military spouse blogs to exploit their sacrifice and tragedy into a reality show to make a buck. Whatever fools at CBS thought this was a brilliant idea can’t begin to understand the military family and should be ashamed of themselves.

LA state Representative Ortego, on the floor of the people of Louisiana’s House, recently had the audacity to mockingly question one of his colleagues on attracting military veterans to the state. The basic premise of the bill author’s intent was that military veterans with two years of active duty service in the United States military would qualify for in-state tuition.

The video is instructive.

Ortego: Why are we trying to attract veterans to Louisiana?
Lorusso: Because I think veterans make good citizens of the state and good members of the community.
Ortego: Okay. Okay. Umm. I’m just wondering also because usually a lot of times veterans come with a lot of issues too and I know the federal government tries to, tries to deal with a lot of those issues. But do you think that we’re gonna be able to deal with them too?
Lorusso (incredulous): I don’t know what you’re referring to by issues Representative Ortego.
Ortego: Homeless rates, and umm, mental illness rates uh especially when they’re coming back after a war.
Lorusso: Well, if they qualify to enroll in our colleges we hope that’s vetted out through the process.
Ortego (laughing): I would hope so, too. I’m just, you know, my point is also that we’re at the same time we’re also don’t you think that we need to be investing in our umm hospitals with mental illness?
Lorusso (clearly angry): If you bring a bill we’d be happy to discuss it.
Ortego: For our veterans?
Lorusso: You’re free to file a bill.

I’m not sure that I could have hand-picked a more disrespectful, ungrateful, shameless college kid brainwashed from the aforementioned Professor Avery’s classroom.

Don’t ever, for one second, allow the far left to tell you that they support our heroes. The American military has been among the few cherished institutions they’ve avoided assaulting directly for the last 30 years. Since the Vietnam days, they’ve generally stuck to small, crazy lunatic protests and Hollywood films that more often than not lately as Americans have come around to the tactics, are ending in disaster for the studio. With the election of President Obama and his open support of groups like OWS, the left is growing more bold in their efforts to tear down the country in an effort to remake her in their image.

In my time with Honor Flight, I’ve been very direct with the Vietnam veterans who volunteered with me: “I wasn’t born when you came home, and I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you. I’m here with you and these World War II veterans, in part, because what happened to you should never, ever happen again.”